- Address: Shimbba Hills, Mombasa, Kenya
- Area: 192.5 km²
- Date of foundation: 1968.
- Cost of visiting: adult - 20 dollars, children's - 10
In Kenya, in the coastal province of Kwale, 33 kilometers from Mombasa and 15 kilometers from the Indian Ocean, the Shimba Hills National Reserve is located. It was named after a mountain that rises above palm trees along the coastline of the country.
More about the reserve
Shimbba Hills was founded in 1968, and in 1903 it received the status of national. At the moment the territory of the park is mostly covered with grasses, thickets and rare tropical rain forests that are more than two hundred years old. African timber is very valuable and has a name in Kiswahili "mvula".
If compared with other national parks in Kenya , Shimba Hills is a fairly small reserve, although it is considered the largest coastal tropical forest in the whole of East Africa. It covers an area of three hundred square kilometers and is located at an altitude of 427 meters above sea level. On the one hand it is covered by Mount Kilimanjaro , and on the other it is surrounded by the ocean.
Flora of the Shimba Hills National Wildlife Refuge
Flora and fauna are very diverse here. In Shimba Hills, more than fifty percent of the rare plant varieties of Kenya grow, and some of them have practically disappeared from the face of the Earth, for example, some species of orchids. The territory of the reserve is a haven for a huge number of endemic tree species. Individual specimens grew on our planet more than three million years ago, and therefore are protected by international organizations protecting natural resources.
In the national park there is a huge number of colorful butterflies (more than two hundred and fifty varieties) and giant cicadas. In the reserve 111 species of birds are recorded (during the spring migration of birds this quantity increases), among which there are quite rare species. Here, the Madagascar nocturnal heron, the black-tailed bustard, the crowned eagle, the great medochka, the crested kite and other species were seen. Photographing birds in the park is prohibited.
The most popular tourist destination is a unique natural attraction - a 25-meter Sheldrik waterfall. From its top it is convenient to observe the life of animals and wild nature, and at the foot you can organize a picnic or refresh yourself in cool water.
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Animals living in the park
One of the main reasons for the creation of Shimba Hills was the existence here of the only population in Kenya of Africa's largest black antelope, Sable. In the reserve today there are about two hundred individuals.
In the National Reserve of Shimbba Hills, according to various estimates, there are about 700 individuals of African elephants. In the park there is even a special place to observe these animals, which stretches along the woodlands and is called Elephant Hill. Located 14 kilometers from the main gate, Waluganje Forest is connected to the reserve by a corridor, through which these huge animals often move. The rest was protected from elephants to prevent their invasion of agricultural land. The number of individuals permanently located in the park reached a limit, so a special exit was created to allow animals to leave the reserve.
In Shimba Hills, you can also meet all African animals: hippopotamus, monkeys, warthog, giraffe, lion, steppe cat, genetta, shrubby pig, common water goat, bushbock, red and blue ducker, sword, serval and other animals. If you visit Shimbba Hills at night, you can see a leopard and a cheetah, and also hear the heartbreaking howl of a hyena. Reptiles in the national park are inhabited by unique reptiles: cobra, python, gecko and lizards. It is very interesting to observe the life of buffalo as well - these are the large animals that make up the "big five" of Africa. Each has its own assistant - a bird that sits on the body of a bull and eats insects that hide in its skin.
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Movement on the park territory
Movement on the Shimba Hills National Reserve is recommended on a jeep safari. It reliably protects against various animals that sometimes show interest in visitors. By the way, photos are obtained from the car rather high-quality. A local guide usually accompanies all tourists. In general, animals often hide in dense vegetation. Therefore, to see the desired inhabitants, go to the east side of the park Giriama Point, where the animals go to the watering place.
Car rental, with a capacity of less than six people, for the whole day will cost 300 Kenyan shillings.
Going to Shimbba Hills, take with you drinking water, a hat, sunblock and be vigilant when meeting with elephants. At the entrance to the national reserve are selling unique souvenirs and handmade paper made from the elephant's dung.
To the tourist on a note
It is not difficult to get to the park. To the airport of Mombasa , from which safaris are often organized, you can fly by plane, and from there by road through Diani to the signpost. Usually a visit to the national park is included in a separate or general excursion.
The cost of visiting Shimbba Hills for different strata of the population is different:
- citizens of Kenya and East Africa pay two hundred Kenyan shillings;
- students and children of the eastern part of the continent will pay one hundred KES;
- citizens of other countries will cost about twenty dollars;
- children and students from other countries will pay about ten dollars.
There are four camping sites and a 67-room lodge called Shimba Hills Lodge Hotel on the territory of Shimbash Hills. This is the only wooden hotel on the coast of Kenya. It is located more often in the rainforest. From all the apartments of the hotel you can see the sea bays and parts of the reserve, closed to tourists. Here in the bosom of wild African nature you will be offered a snack, enjoying the sounds and smells of the environment.
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